No Matter What
by Teddy R. Lupin
Summary: Sequel to "Promotion". Tony and Pepper realize that they are always there for eachother. Pepper starts work in the CEO's office, and Tony realizes that he isn't at all good with change. One-Shot.


Okay, so this is the sequel to "Promotion". It basically picks up where the first story left off. I was going to make it a lot longer, but I guess if you guys want another sequel after this one, I'll write it.

I didn't get to use the computer at all yesterday, or it would've been posted. I scored a goal at my hockey game! So yeah...

On with the story.

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"I love you," he said simply, finally free to say what he had been longing to say for years.

"I love you, too," she said quietly. "I don't know why it was so hard-" Tony cut her off.

"It doesn't matter anymore," he said. "You understand? We're together now, all right?" She opened her mouth, then on second thought, closed it again, and just nodded. "Nothing will tear us apart. We're strong, right?" Pepper nodded again, sniffling.

He wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked back to the couch, where they knew there would be much to talk about…if they had the time.

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**Four Weeks Later**

Tony Stark nervously checked his watch for the tenth time. He knew that he had nothing to worry about; Pepper was always on time. But he couldn't help it. He checked his watch again. Nine minutes until showtime.

"Tony," he heard an amused voice say. He turned around and smiled, obviously relieved.

"Hey," he said warmly, and before she could protest, wrapped her up in a tight hug. "I thought for a minute you wouldn't make it." He checked his watch again. Eight minutes until showtime.

"Have I ever been late?" she asked. "I was surprised to see you here." He made a face at her.

"Ha ha," he said sarcastically. Then his expression softened. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." Pepper rolled her eyes.

"What, watch me make a fool of myself in front of millions of people?" she asked doubtfully. "I've never been in front of the camera before."

"You'll be fine," Tony said reassuringly. "I know you will." She smiled into his chest. Tony had this way of making everyone feel good and confident inside.

"Thanks," she mumbled. He checked his watch again. Four minutes until showtime. They heard footsteps come down the hall and immediately split apart.

"Oh, _please_, don't stop on my account," Rhodey said, smirking. Tony glared back at his friend, who had come through the side door. "There's no need to hide your…ah…_feelings_…" Pepper covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

"Keep your mouth shut, Rhodes," Tony growled. They were silent for a moment, then the three of them burst out laughing.

"Anyway, Tony, the press conference starts in two minutes," Rhodey said, calming down. Pepper straightened her suit jacket and Tony smiled at her encouragingly.

"Don't worry, Pep," he whispered to her. "You'll do great." She entwined her fingers with his and he gave her a gentle kiss. "I did pick you as CEO for a reason."

"I know," she said reluctantly. "But Tony-" Rhodey cut her off.

"Ten seconds and counting," he said. "Let's get out there." Pepper followed Tony out of the side room and into the press room, trying desperately to stay calm.

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Tony faced the reporters with a broad smile on his face.

"Okay," he started, clearing his throat. "It's been a while since I was in front of you, and I believe, that was right after my former CEO had gone crazy and nearly killed me." There was select laughter from the crowd. "But after a month of trying to decide who I could trust to run my company…I came upon a decision. My former Personal Assistant, Pepper Potts, will be taking up the position." There was an uproar from the reporters.

"Can you believe-" one started to ask.

"I always knew there was something going on between them!" accused Christine Everheart. Tony cleared his throat loudly, and they settled down.

"Miss Potts is the most capable and qualified person for the job," he said firmly. "And I know I can trust her to run things smoothly." He looked menacingly at Christine. "It is not a matter of 'things going on between us'. It's just good business." He walked off the podium, headed directly at Pepper. He smiled and motioned for them to exit the other way. Happy would meet them there and drive them back to the mansion.

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"Mr. Stark," he heard Pepper say. Stepping down from working on the Mark III suit, he looked at her and frowned.

"So we're back to formalities?" he asked. "Come on, Pepper." She rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, Tony," she said, her blue eyes looking down at her toes. "Old habits die hard, I guess." He walked over to her and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.

"It's fine," he said. 'What did you want to see me for?" Pepper didn't answer. She threw a newspaper at him. He caught it, extremely confused. Looking down, he realized it was the classified section.

_Shit._

"How come you didn't tell me you were looking for a new assistant?" she asked, looking hurt. He sat down, sighing heavily.

"I dunno, Pep," he said quietly. "I didn't want-" She put a finger to his lips.

"Shh," she whispered. "It's all right." Pepper sat down next to him in silence.

"I don't want to lose you, Pepper," he said hoarsely.

"You won't," she said quietly, kissing his cheek softly. He smiled at her and leaned back.

"Sorry about the press conference the other day," he mumbled.

"I thought it went rather well," she said lightly, absentmindedly playing with Tony's hair. They were silent for a minute. He looked at her, concerned.

"You sure you're all right?" he asked doubtfully. "Because that Everheart bitch-" Pepper smiled.

"You're sticking up for me," she said simply. "That makes all the difference in the world." He put his arms around her tightly and smiled contentedly, closing his eyes. Pepper leaned on him, a single tear trailing down her cheek. She wiped it away. There was no reason for her to be crying.

"I'll stick up for you no matter what," he said steadfastly. "I promise you that."

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Tony sat in his workshop a few days later, his computers forgotten. He had a screwdriver in his hand, but he wasn't in the mood to fix anything. He distractedly threw it up into the air and caught it effortlessly.

Having been out of town for the past few days, this was the one of the first days in eight years that Pepper hadn't come down the stairs to turn down his music, papers for him to sign in her arms. He stared at the ceiling.

_I know she's the best person for CEO…but where does that leave room for me? I haven't seen her in two days,_ he thought sadly.

"Jarvis?" he called out. "You there?"

"At your service, sir," the cool British voice answered, seemingly coming from nowhere.

"Can I get the footage of the CEO's office?"

"Spying on Miss Potts are we, sir?" For a moment, Tony considered a rude retort, but he ignored the urge. There would be time for that later.

"Maybe," he answered nonchalantly. The screen appeared, Pepper sitting in her office, staring blankly at her laptop. "Jarvis, call Pepper for me, will you?"

"Of course." He heard the phone ring, and watched Pepper go through her purse in search of her BlackBerry.

"Tony!" she answered happily. "What's up?" He shrugged.

"Nothing much," he replied casually. "Just me and Jarvis hangin' out."

"Why'd you call me?" she asked. "It's not-"

"Not at all, Pep," he said. "And besides, isn't a guy allowed to call his girlfriend?" He saw her blush crimson.

"I suppose," she said with a nervous laugh. "But Tony-"

"Come over tonight," he said, cutting across her.

"Why?" she asked curiously. Tony frowned slightly.

"Pepper…I haven't seen you for two days," he said sadly. "You're not avoiding me, are you?" It was her turn to frown.

"Of course not," she said, surprised. "I've just had a lot to do. You're the one who gave me the position, you know." Tony didn't respond.

_I know, Pep. That doesn't stop me from missing you._

"Tony?" she asked. "You still there?"

"Yeah," he replied flatly.

"What's wrong?" she asked hesitantly.

"What's wrong is…" Tony leaned back and sighed heavily. "God, I miss you, Pepper."

"You miss me?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Do you know how hard it was for me this morning when I realized that I could blare my music all I wanted and you weren't going to come downstairs and turn it off?" he asked sadly, as if pleading. "Pep…everything's so different here without you." He watched her smile sadly to herself. There was a moment of silence, then…

"I'll see you tonight, Tony," she agreed.

"You promise?" he asked playfully. Pepper rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I promise," she said exasperatedly. "I'll see you at seven, okay?"

"Okay," Tony affirmed. "Pepper…I love you." Another moment of silence.

"I love you, too," he heard her say, barely above a whisper. She hung up and Tony smiled broadly.

_Maybe this day won't be a total waste, after all._

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"Tony?" Pepper unlocked the front door of the mansion. She didn't get a response. "Tony?" She heard footsteps rushing up the stairs, and she knew that Jarvis had alerted Tony to her arrival. He reached the top step, and Pepper thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her.

She had expected his to be wearing stained jeans and an old MIT sweatshirt, but he was dressed in one of his best suits. His dark eyes lit up once he saw her.

"Hey, Pepper," he said warmly. "Thanks for coming." She looked at him strangely.

"Are you okay?" Pepper asked him uncertainly. Tony strode over to her, seemingly confident.

"I'm fine," he said quietly. "I just…look…this isn't easy for me." She gently grasped his hand, and they moved closer together.

"What isn't easy?" she asked, her voice not more than a whisper. "Tony-"

"Change," he said simply. "I've never been good with it." Pepper leaned on his chest.

"Tony…the only thing that is certain is change," she said softly.

"I know, Pep," he said, sighing heavily. "That doesn't mean I have to like it." She smiled, knowing he couldn't see it.

"I suppose," she responded. "Why did you want me to come over?" Tony released his hold on her, though their hands remained clasped together.

"I've had a lot of time on my hands, and I realized…" Now he had a devilish grin on his face. "…That we never got around to finishing that dance. I figured that I owed it to you…to us." Pepper's eyes widened.

"Tony-"

"What?" he asked innocently. "So tell me…do you have something against dancing…or against me?"

"Oh, Tony…" she said sadly. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt…" Tony smiled broadly.

"That's my Pepper," he said encouragingly. Jarvis immediately started the music, and Pepper instantly recognized it as the song they had danced to at the Firefighter's Benefit. Tony placed a hand on her waist, and before either of them could tell, they were swaying gently to the music. Pepper leaned in close to him, probably as close as she could get.

The song came to an end, but neither of them was willing to let go of the other. Eventually, Tony broke away.

"What-" Pepper started to ask, confused. He gave her a heartwarming smile.

"There was a little something about a vodka martini, I believe?" Tony asked her, a glint in his eye. She opened her mouth, but closed it almost immediately. He gave her an encouraging smile, and reached out his hand to her.

"Tony-" she protested weakly. He looked at her questioningly.

"What is it, Pepper?" he asked slowly. She shook her head and took his hand. He started to lead her down the stairs, but stopped halfway down. It was her turn to be confused, but he smiled mysteriously. "Cover your eyes."

"What?"

"Cover your eyes," he repeated slowly.

"Tony, I'll fall down the stairs!" she protested.

"Come on," he said softly. "Do you honestly think I'd let you fall?" Pepper smiled and covered her eyes obediently. They walked down the rest of the way, and Tony took over, covering her hands with his own. He pushed open the door, and dropped his hands.

Pepper opened her eyes wide. Tony's workshop was completely transformed. His suit and cars were not visible, and his computers were nowhere to be found. The lights were dimmed, and curtains were draped over the walls. And on the other side of the room, there was a small table with candles lit, and two glasses for drinks. Tony smiled at her and she sighed.

"You did all this?" she asked, tears welling up in her eyes. "Just for me?"

"Yeah," he responded, wrapping his arms around her.

"Tony…" She tried to say something, but her words kept getting caught. "No one…no one has ever done anything like this for me before."

"You deserve the best," he whispered. "It's not fair that no one else realized that." After a moment of silence, a buzz sounded from Tony's pocket. He pulled out his phone. Seeing the number, his heart filled with dread. Seeing the look on his face, Pepper knew it could only be one person.

"What do you want?" Tony answered, obviously annoyed.

"I need you to go to Afghanistan," answered the voice of Nick Fury.

"Why?" Tony challenged. "I'm busy at the moment."

"I'm sure you're a busy man, Stark, but that is of no concern to me," he said. "The Ten Rings have struck again, and you're the only one I can count on." Tony shut his phone.

_I've had enough._

Pepper reached to take his hand gently.

"Do you have to go?" she asked quietly, knowing perfectly well what he was going to say.

"Yes," he answered, his voice hoarse. He pushed past the curtains, and without hesitation, Pepper followed him.

"Tony!" He had stepped into the suit, and his robots were helping him to put the rest of it on. Tony looked at her sadly.

"I'm sorry, Pepper," he said softly. "I didn't know-" His body was completely covered by the suit, save the mask. She walked up to him hesitantly.

"I know," she said quietly. "It's all right." He leaned down and kissed her tenderly.

"I'll be back soon," he whispered. "I promise." The red and gold mask slipped over his head, and a second later, Pepper was left standing in the workshop…alone.

As Tony flew through the sky, the words of a familiar comic book floated through his mind.

_If you're destined to be a hero…you're destined to be alone._

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A few hours later, Pepper was sitting in the living room, blankly staring at the wall. Her eyes were about to slide closed, but she heard a crash from the workshop. She sat bolt upright, wide awake.

"Jarvis?" she called out, her voice shaking.

"I believe Mr. Stark has arrived, Miss Potts," the cool English voice said.

"Thank you," she said breathlessly. She hurried downstairs as fast as she could in her high heels.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she pushed open the door, and saw Tony lying on the ground, the suit only partially removed. His eyes were closed, and he was taking short, shallow breaths.

"Oh, my God," Pepper muttered. She took Tony's face in her hands. "Tony," she whispered. "Can you hear me?" He moaned, and she gasped. "Tony," she pleaded. "Please…" His eyes opened slightly, and he squinted at her.

"Pepper?" he said weakly, coughing up blood. He moaned again, and his eyes closed.

"Tony!" she cried. His eyes opened slightly and he gave her the biggest smile he could manage.

"I'll be all right, Pep," he said quietly. "I've been through worse." Pepper felt something wet on her cheek, and it was a full minute before she realized that she was crying.

"We need to get you upstairs," she said, her voice shaking. He nodded slightly and she, with assistance from Dummy and Butterfingers, removed the rest of Tony's armor.

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Tony leaned on Pepper for support as they walked up the stairs to his bedroom. She laid him on the bed and reluctantly left to find a first aid kit. When she returned, he was wide awake and grinning at her. Pepper smiled worriedly.

"Tony?" she asked uneasily. "What happened?" He waved his hand carelessly.

"It doesn't matter, Pepper," he said quietly. She sat down next to him and stroked his cheek.

"God," she gasped. "It's a wonder you made it home alive."

"I'm full of surprises today, aren't I," he said dryly. Pepper couldn't suppress a laugh. She pressed a wet towel to Tony's forehead, wiping away dried blood. "Pepper…" She looked at him.

"Hmm?" she asked, checking his arms for scrapes and bruises.

"I'd be lost without you," he said softly. Pepper pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, and another to his cheek. She stood up, sighing.

"Will you be okay here?" she asked, turning around, ready to leave.

"No," he answered hoarsely. Pepper swallowed.

"What do you need?" He weakly extended his hand.

"Stay with me," he replied softly. And in her heart, Pepper knew that Tony wasn't asking for sex. He simply wanted to make sure that she would always be there.

"All right," she answered after a moment. She kicked off her shoes and took Tony's hand. He pulled her towards him, until they were lying side by side. Pepper exhaled and relaxed in his arms.

Long after she had fallen into a light sleep, Tony lay awake, unable to relax. _What would have happened if Pepper hadn't been there?_ he wondered. Tony laughed silently to himself. _I guess even Iron Man needs to be saved._

_God, Pepper, what would I do without you?_

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What did you think? Too cheesy? I know I told some people they would get engaged in this one, but I shortened it, so if you want another, just be sure to mention that in your review.

I'm also planning on writing this as a series of one-shots, not one story. (it looks better on my profile) Just kidding. But after this, I will have one where they get engaged, one where they get married, and then I'll start on a bigger story, where there will actually be a villain and everything. I'm not really that creative, so I'll probably make it someone from the movie, like the Ten Rings. If you have any better ideas, please let me know.

Jason


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